Leg supporting corner plate



Dec. 8, 1964 M. LANGBAUM 3,160,331

LEG SUPPORTING CORNER PLATE Original Filed March 22, 1962 INVENTOR.#0474) 44mm! United States Patent LEG SWPORTING CGRNEP. PEATE MurrayLangbaurn, East Hills, N.Y., assignor to Nova groducts Car n, Brooklyn,N.Y., a corporation of New orlr Original application lvlar. 22, 1962,Ser. No. 181,634, new Patent No. 3,143,375, dated Aug. 4, E64. Dividedand this application Dec. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 3%,372

4- Qlaims. (U. 248-188) at present constructed and sold either as fixedfootrests or as adjustable footrests. Fixed footrests comprise aselfsupporting cushion assembly, usually rigidified by means of a frame,with legs attached to that frame for supporting the cushion assembly adesired distance above the floor and in a desired orientation relativeto the floor. Adjustable footrests are similar, but have the frame somodified that the cushion assembly can be supported in differentorientations relative to the floor, usually at different angles ofinclination relative thereto. A person, whether the ultimate user or amiddleman dealer, who purchases a fixed footrest and then decides thathe prefers one withan adjustability feature must discard the fixed unitand purchase a new and adjustable unit. Often the cost involved in thisis excessive, so that the person involved keeps the fixed unit eventhough he is dissatisfied therewith.

The prime object of the present invention is to produce a frame assemblywhich can be sold as such, and which can readily be attached, either inthe home of the ultimate user or in a furniture showroomor the like, toa selfsupporting cushion assembly which, together with its rigidifyingframe, formerly constituted part of a fixed footrest, and convert thatcushion assembly for adjustable positioning. In this Way users ofdevices of this type who have fixed footrests and who want footrestswith an adjustability feature can obtain that adjustability featureinexpensively, and without having to discard the major parts of thefixed footrests which they already have. Moreover, the construction inquestion is so designed as to be readily attachable to a preexistingrigidified cushion assembly in a simple manner such as may be carriedout even by an unskilled individual, thus rendering the structurecapable of use on a do it yourself basis.

In addition, the structure of the present invention is so designed as totake up but a minimal amount of space when in knocked-down condition,thereby being readily shippable and storable. When the structure isassembled and secured to a preexisting cushion assembly, however, itwill reliably support that cushion and permit the position of thecushion to be varied in accordance with the desires ofthe user.

To the accomplishment of the above, and to such other objects as mayhereinafter appear, the present invention I relates to the structure ofa leg-supporting corner plate, as defined in the appended claims and asdescribed in this specification, taken together with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a three-quarter perspective view of a cushion assembly withthe supporting and adjusting structure of the present invention attachedthereto, taken partially from beneath the assembly, the cushion beingshown in,

FIGS. 4 and 5 arecross sectional views taken respectively along thelines 4-4 and 5-5 of FIG. 3.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention which is specificallyillustrated, the assembly comprises a cushion assembly generallydesignated A and a supporting subsassembly generally designated B. Thecushion assembly A may take a Wide variety of forms, but essentiallycomprises a cushion part 2 provided with a rigidifying part 4 so thatthe assembly A is a self-support ing, that rigidifying part 4 being hereshown as a wooden or other structural base to which the cushion proper2, including its covering sheets of fabric, leather, plastic or thelike, is secured in any appropriate and conventional manner. Theassembly A may have been a part of a nonadjustable footrest to whichlegs were attached but from which the legs have been removed. Indeed, aspointed out above, one of the prime objectives of the structure heredisclosed and claimed is to convert such a cushion assembly A with fixedlegs into a cushion assembly A which is supported on legs with respectto which its position may be adjusted.

The supporting subassembly B comprises a skeleton framework generallydesignated 6 independent of the. cushion assembly A, to which legs 8 areadapted to be attached, preferably in a removable manner. .It' comprisesconnected narrow side and end members 10 and 12 respectively which maybe formed of metallic rod material bent and/ or secured to one anotherto define an outer periphery which is smaller in all lateral dimensionsthan the cushion assembly A. If desired, a longitudinally ex-. tendingrigidifying rod 14 may be connected between the end members 12, as bybeing welded thereto. Extending between the side members 10, securedthereto in any appropriate manner, as by welding, and laterally spacedfrom one another, are an additional pair of structural members such asrods 16 which are provided, adjacent one of the side members ill, with aseries of depressions 18, the portions of the rods 16 defining thesedepressions 18 constituting structural elements which are adapted to beAt the corners of the skeleton frameworkfi, and there secured to andextending between the side and end mem bers iii and 12, are cornerplates generally designated 20 and formed of suitable sheet structuralmaterial, prefer; iably metal. They comprise a body portion 22triangularly shapedto fit into a corner of theiframe and provided withside extensions 24 adapted to be secured to the side and end members ll)and 12 respectively, as by being bent therearound, the body portionZZthus being located substantially in line with the upper surfaces of themembers iii and 12. A tongue generally-designated 26 extends out fromthe hypotenuse edge 28 of the body portion 22 and is bent'b'ack over thebody portion 22 in the down from the body 22 for an appreciabledistance, and a portion 32 being bent back from the portion 341* overthe the axis of the aperture 36 being substantially perpendic ular tothe planeof the portion 32 and consequently being inclined upwardly andoutwardly relative to the body ,I

portion 22.

' The legs 8, of any desired size, shape and material, are provided attheir upper ends 40 with an attaching means 42; here shown as a screwreceivable in the opening 36 in the corner plate 20. The screw 42 can besecured in place in any appropriate manner; as here specificallydisclosed a screw thread is formed. on the inside of the aperture 36, sothat each leg 8 can be screwed into place. When it is thus screwed orotherwise secured in place, its surface 40 rests against the lowersurface of the tongue portion 32 and, because of the inclination of thatportion 32-, is retained in an outwardly inclined supporting positionwhich adds stability to the overall assembly.

The skeleton framework 6, together with its legs 8, is adapted to besecured to the cushion assembly A by means of a pair of simple bracketsgenerally designated 44 each having side parts 46 connected by a raisedcurved part 48. The side parts 46 are adapted to be secured to theunderside of the cushion assembly A in any appropriatev manner, as bymeans of screws 50 which enter the rigidifying part 4 of the cushionassembly A, while the central raised part 48 of thebracket 44encompasses one of the side members Not the skeleton framework 6 and isrotatable thereover. In this way the cushion assembly A is secured toand mounted on the skeleton framework 6 so as to be pivotal about saidside member 19. Said side member thus encompassed by the brackets .44 isthe one which is remote from the member-engageable structural elements18 on the rods 16. In order to limit lateral movement of the cushionassembly A relative to the skeleton framework 6, the brackets 44 arepositioned close to and on opposite sides of the rods 16 respectively;

The assembly is completed by an adjustment member generally designated52, this member comprising a substantially U-shaped bracket formed ofsuitable structural,

material such as a metal rod and comprising arms 54 connected bycross-piece'56 at one end and having inwardly extending fingers 58 atthe other end. The width of the bracket 52 (the length of itscross-piece 56) is somewhat greater than the distance between the rods16 on the skeleton frame 6, and the cross-piece 56 isreceivable in thedepressions 18 formed in those rodslfi. The adjustment member 52 ispivotally secured to. the underside of the cushion assembly A by meansof brackets 60 which are similar to the brackets 44, and which pivotallyencompass the fingers 58 of the adjustment member 52.

The supporting assembly comprises the framed, the legs 8, the adjustmentmember 52, and the brackets 44 and 60. It may be manufacturedindependently of the cushion assembly A and, with the recited partsdisassembled, may be packed in cartons taking up but a mini-, mal amountof space, and may be thus shipped and stored ready for use. When thesupporting assembly is to be used, as with a cushion assembly A whichformerly comprised part of a fixed footrest and'fro'm which thepreviously existing legs or other supporting structure have beenremoved, the framework 6 is approximately positioned on the underside ofthe cushion assembly A and is. then pivotally secured thereto by,meansjof the brackets 44. This securement is easily accomplished merelyby driv ing the screws 50 into the base or rigidifying part 4 of mannerbest shownin FIG. 4, a portion 30 extending the cushion assembly A.Either before or after this is .done the adjustment member 52 issimilarly secured to the cushion assembly A is desired, it is pivotedabout the side member 10 approximately to desired position, and thecross-piece 56 is inserted into the nearest pair of depressions 18 inthe rods 16, the adjustment member 52 then retaining the cushionassembly A in adjusted position. The more remote the selected pair ofdepressions 18 may be from the side member 10, the more inclinedeffective mannen'that the several parts of the supporting assemblyprovide bothfor support and adjustable positioning in an effective andreliable manner, and that the supporting assembly is therefore capableof being sold as a do it yourself kit of particular utility inconverting a-fixed footrest to an adjustable footrest with a minimum oftrouble and expense. l p

While but a single embodiment of the present invention has been herespecifically disclosed, it will be apparent that many variations may bemade therein, all within the scope of the instant invention as definedin the following claims.

I claim:

l. A leg'supporting corner plate adapted for use with a furniture frameto which said plate is to be attached comprising a body portionadapted'to be secured to said furniture frame and a tongue integrallysecured to said body portion and extending from an edge of said bodyportion downwardly and then reversely bent so that a part of said tongueoverlies and is spaced downwardly from said body portion, an aperturebeing formed in said bodyoverlying tongue part which is adapted toreceive a legattached securing element such' as a bolt.

2. .A leg-supporting corner plate adapted for use with a furniture frameto which said 'plate is too be attached comprising a body portionadapted to be secured to'said furniture frame and a tongue integrallysecured to said body portion and extending'from'an edge of said bodyportion downwardly and then reversely bent and up wardly so that a partof said tongue overlies and is spaced downwardly from said body portion,an aperture being formed in said body-overlying tongue part which isadapted to receive a leg-attached securing element such tongue partwhich is adapted to receive a leg-attached securing element such as abolt.

4. A leg-supporting corner plate adapted for use with a-furnature frametolwhich said plate is to be attached comprising a body portionsubstantially in the shape of a leg-attached securing element such as abolt.

a right triangle adapted to be secured to said furniture ReferencesCited by the Examiner frame and a tongue integrally secured to said bodypor- UNITED STATES PATENTS tion and extending from the edge of said bodyportion 2 869 950 1/59 Boccone corresponding to the hypotenuse of saidright triangle 2:879:05 3/59 Perry downwardly and then reversely bentand upwardly so that 5 2 3 110 4 59 Mutchnik 248 138 a part of saidtongue overlies and is spaced downwardly 2,895,777 7/59 Urban 248188from said body portion, an aperture being formed in said 2,905,422 9/59Sacharow 248-188 body-overlying tongue part which is adapted to receiveCLAUDE LE ROY, Primary Emmi-"en FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner.

1. A LEG SUPPORTING CORNER PLATE ADAPTED FOR USE WITH A FURNITURE FRAMETO WHICH SAID PLATE IS TO BE ATTACHED COMPRISING A BODY PORTION ADAPTEDTO BE SECURED TO SAID FURNITURE FRAME AND A TONGUE INTEGRALLY SECURED TOSAID BODY PORTION AND EXTENDING FROM AN EDGE OF SAID BODY PORTIONDOWNWARDLY AND THEN REVERSELY BENT SO THAT A PART OF SAID TONGUEOVERLIES AND IS SPACED DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID BODY PORTION, AN APERTUREBEING FORMED IN SAID BODYOVERLYING TONGUE PART WHICH IS ADAPTED TORECEIVE A LEGATTACHED SECURING ELEMENT SUCH AS A BOLT.